Chapter 24 #3
He laughed, easily settling her on his hip. "Hey, Cal." Watching the two of them together made my heart swell. For all of AJ's tough attitude, Callie could melt him without even trying.
I smiled to myself before heading off to find everyone else.
"We're coming!" Yana and Leena called as they hurried down the stairs. Within a few minutes everyone had piled into the vans, and we were finally on our way to La Pergola.
As we drove through the Italian countryside, Adriano slipped his hand into mine. "You okay, amore?" he murmured, gently rubbing his thumb across my knuckles.
I smiled and nodded. "I am." He lifted my hand, pressing a kiss against my knuckles before leaning over to kiss my forehead. My heart still fluttered every single time.
"Mom..." Ales' voice came from the seat behind us. "Am I still in trouble?"
Before I could answer, Adriano glanced over his shoulder. "Yes." His tone wasn't angry, just firm. "You know what you did was wrong."
Ales let out the world's most dramatic sigh. From the back of the van, AJ looked over in confusion. "Wait... you got in trouble?" He raised an eyebrow. "I leave for a couple of hours and this happens?"
Ales shot him an unimpressed look. "Shut up."
AJ Pov~
"So, what exactly did you do?" I asked my twin. She shrugged like it was nothing. "I just went outside for a walk. No big deal."
I snorted. "Lies. You crossed the gates, didn't you?" Ales rolled her eyes dramatically. "Maybe."
I shook my head. "You're unbelievable." She bumped my shoulder. "Says the guy who's probably gotten away with worse."
"That's because I don't get caught." I replied in a teasing tone making her groan and say "You're insufferable."
"And yet, I'm still your favorite twin."
"I only have one twin." She said with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Exactly." I said with a smug smile on my face. A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself, and for the first time since yesterday, she looked a little more like herself.
As our convoy pulled into the parking lot of La Pergola, my thoughts drifted back to everything that had happened earlier that day.
Aldo.
I really needed to tell Dad. Every instinct I had screamed that he needed to know immediately. But then I looked at him through the windshield.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't dealing with kidnappings, traitors, interrogations, or council politics. He was simply walking beside Mom with his hand intertwined in hers.
He deserved one normal evening. Tomorrow's problems would still be there.
Tonight...
Tonight could belong to the family.
We climbed out of the three SUVs, drawing more than a few curious glances from people nearby, but none of us paid them any attention. Dad took Mom's hand as they naturally led the way, every bit the King and Queen of our family.
The rest of us followed them inside. The restaurant was completely empty. Guess Dad had reserved the entire place.
Everything was elegant, warm beige walls accented with gold trim, crisp white chairs carved with intricate designs, sparkling chandeliers hanging overhead, and the unmistakable aroma of fresh Italian food drifting from the kitchen.
My stomach growled loudly enough that Uncle Gio laughed. "We'll eat soon, son," he said, clapping me on the shoulder with a grin.
Before I could answer, a loud voice echoed through the restaurant.
"Ugh, chi ha lasciato entrare quest'uomo nel mio ristorante?" (Ugh, who let this man into my restaurant?)
Every head turned. A man about Dad's age strode toward us wearing the biggest grin I'd ever seen.
Dad actually smiled. "Gabriel, non sei cambiato per niente." (Gabriel, you haven't changed a bit.)
He smirked. "Non è una buona cosa, vecchio amico." (That's not a good thing, old friend.) Gabriel burst into laughter before pulling Dad into a hug.
"So this is your family?" he asked, looking around at all of us with obvious amazement.
Dad nodded proudly. "It is." He wrapped an arm around Mom's waist. "And this is my wife, Gianna. Amore... this is Gabriel, my oldest friend in Italy."
Gabriel gently took Mom's hand and kissed the back of it. "Bellissima." (Beautiful.)
Dad's jaw tightened ever so slightly. "Can we sit down now, Gabriel?" he asked through a polite but unmistakably strained smile.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek. Dad definitely didn't appreciate another man admiring Mom.
Gabriel either didn't notice or simply didn't care. "Of course!" he said cheerfully, sweeping an arm toward the dining room.
"This way, Basilio family." Everyone started making their way toward the enormous table prepared for us.
I hurried to Dad's side before he sat down. "Dad," I said quietly enough that only he could hear, "I need to talk to you tomorrow."
He looked down at me immediately. "We can talk now if it's important."
I hesitated. It was important, but not tonight. I shook my head. "It can wait one night." He studied my face for a long moment, clearly trying to decide whether to press me. Finally, he nodded once. "Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," I agreed. As we all took our seats, I couldn't shake the feeling that this peaceful dinner was only the calm before the storm.